Category: Sleep Facts

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Interview With A Sleep Doctor

You know why Saturdays are so awesome? It’s because we all get to sleep in. Not just sleep in past the alarm, but sleep past 2 if we want and stay in our pajamas all day! There’s no judgment because you are catching up on the sleep you missed out on during the week, right? WRONG! Catching up on sleep is a myth like a unicorn or a leprechaun or a season of Grey’s Anatomy where Meredith doesn’t almost die. According to Dr. Kiljeet Gill, one of our biggest priority in getting better sleep is consistency. Makes sense, right? I mean, we need consistency to see results, consistency in our diet and consistency in our relationships. Sleep is not like vacation days, we can’t just cash in on sleep when it fits our schedule, we need consistency.

 On my quest of ascending the mountain of discovery, I realized I needed an expert to help guide me on the journey. I kind of like a sleep Sherpa, so I called Dr. Kiljeet Gill, a sleep expert, to help me understand how to make sleep a priority in 2018.

Dr. Kiljeet Gill

                                                                   

Q: What is the number one mistake people make in prioritizing their sleep?

Thinking they can catch up on sleep on the weekends. You need to be consistent in your sleep.

Q: What is the magic number of hours to sleep?

7.5 hours a night consistently.

Q: Can you recommend any natural ways to help catch some ZZZZ’s?

I recommend taking a warm bath or shower before bed to lower your core body temperature. Turn off all electronics two hours before bedtime and try not to watch the clock.

Q: What is the ideal sleep environment?

Cool and dark is the best. Make sure you feel comfortable.

Q: Is technology damaging our sleep habits, and if so, how can we correct these habits?

Yes, technology can be interfering with our sleep. I tell my patients to turn off electronic devices two hours before bedtime. Using our screens before bed is giving our brains too much stimulation and making it harder to fall asleep.

Q: What are the most common health problems caused by not getting enough sleep?

Hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. There is a clear link between poor sleep habits and overall poor health.

Q: What would be your best advice to young adults who are in college or even new to the workforce that are not making sleep a priority?

Not giving your body the rest it needs will actually interfere with your overall performance. Not getting proper rest can lead to you making bad choices, it can also put you at risk while driving.

Q: At what point should someone seek help from a Doctor for their sleep problems?

Seek medical help if you snore or have trouble breathing while sleeping. Also, seek medical attention if you feel like you have insomnia and need sleep aids or have a significant Starbucks habit.

Q: What would you say is the biggest reward for making sleep a priority?

People forget that your mood is easily affected by your quality of sleep. Get enough sleep more constantly each night and you might see a big improvement in your mood. Also, alertness is a big reward for making sleep a priority. We all function better when we are more alert and can make sound and wise decisions.

I was so thankful that Dr. Kiljeet Gill from Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group took the time to talk to me and even more thankful that she never mentioned the consumption of wine and how that could possibly interfere with better sleep, even though I already know the answer to that question. Insert sad face here.

 So, after talking to Dr. Gill I started doing my own online research to see how many people struggle with sleep in our country. The huffingtonpost.com (find the direct link below) had an article about this that was shocking. It says more than one-third of U.S adults don’t get enough sleep! Take a look at this bar graph they made to show us how many hours Americans average a night.

That is a tremendous amount of people who lack sleep. I wanted to dig deeper into my own group of friends on Facebook to see why they are not getting their 8 hours of sleep. Hopefully you can relate to these answers. They mentioned Kids, Caffeine, hard time staying asleep, bladder issues, health problems, making other tasks a priority over sleeping, insomnia, Netflix, noisy neighbors, worry about work, wanting to enjoy the quiet after the kids go to bed, stress, catching up on housework, and a snoring spouse, to name a few. Forget about those scary scenes of a zombie apocalypse, we already are a bunch of sleepless zombies just trying to make it through life.

hand drawn combo designed by freepik.com

                                                               

Where do we go from here? We all have legit reasons why we don’t get the proper amount of sleep. Well, the pillows.com team wants to encourage you to make sleep a priority in 2018, add 8 hours of sleep to your goal of getting healthier this year.

Health.com gave us 11 surprising health benefits of sleep:

  •         Sleep improves memory
  •         Getting enough sleep makes you live longer
  •         Sleep curbs inflammation
  •         It spurs creativity
  •         It makes you a stronger competitor
  •         Sleep gives you the attention, alertness and sharp memory you need to get better grades
  •         Healthy weight
  •         Sleep lessens stress
  •         Sleeps helps to avoid accidents and depression.

We all want these things! Let’s not sacrifice our sleep and our health for things that don’t bring us health and joy. Keep these benefits of better sleep in your mind when you pass on going to that party, watching that last episode, or drinking that 4 pm coffee. Exercise, eat well, and SLEEP, that is the magic combination for a healthier YOU! So, add sleep to your new year goals and go ahead and snooze, your body will thank you!

image from okchicas.com

                                                                   

References:

                                                                  http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html#have-a-healthy-weight-0

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/americans-arent-getting-enough- sleep_us_56c61306e4b0b40245c9687b

                                                           

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Meditation and the Fight for a Deeper Sleep

In today’s world, we are constantly surrounded by constant noise and distractions. Most of us also carry large burdens of stress upon our shoulders, and look to sleep to relieve the weight. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances can end up making sleep difficult and even impossible for us at night. According to the CDC, one of out every three people will not get enough sleep each night. In a lot of cases, these people (such as myself) suffer from insomnia and other sleep depriving ailments. In lieu of these statistics and to observe Sleep Awareness Week, the Pillows.com team has decided to look into and evaluate different methods that may be the keys to unlocking that perfect night’s sleep. One such key could possibly be found within meditation to combat insomnia and general restlessness.

 

Meditation: Not just for monks

Since the 1970’s Americans have been gradually experimenting with the calming art of mediation. More and more people are putting aside the notion that meditation is solely a Buddhist or Hindu practice and tapping into the stress-relieving powers it holds. This practice has been coined “Mindfulness Meditation” and it’s practitioners have had great success in stress relief and deeper uninterrupted sleep. The goal of this Mindfulness Meditation is to create the release of a “relaxation response” in the mind of participants. The “relaxation response” is a term used for the deep physiological shift in the body that’s the opposite of the stress response. “‘The relaxation response can help ease many stress-related ailments, including depression, pain, and high blood pressure. For many people, sleep disorders are closely tied to stress,'” Dr. Benson, the creator of the relaxation response term is quoted saying. Dr. Benson further goes on explain how one might achieve this response in quick and simple steps.

 

Step 1: Find a nice and quiet space

Before the meditation begins, it is recommend that you find a quiet place away from the noise and distraction of the busy world around. Dr. Benson suggests that the individual should allow for about 20 minutes of time to spend meditating. So close the blinds, shut the door, and get comfy because it’s time to begin the relaxation.

 

Step 2: Find your Focus

“The idea is to create a reflex to more easily bring forth a sense of relaxation,” Dr. Benson says. Finding your focus with meditation will lead to release of the relaxation response. This can be achieved with very simple ways of focusing. Some examples of things to focus on are your breathing, making a sound like an “Om”, saying a short prayer, repeating a positive word, or even repeating a phrase. These can all be done silently in your head or out loud all while inhaling and exhaling slowly.

 

Step 3: Just. Let. Go.

One of the biggest and most crucial technique to use is letting go. When meditating, there shouldn’t be any worry about how you are doing and if you are doing it right. Just breathe. If your mind starts to wander away from the meditative focus, take a deep breath and begin refocusing on what you were doing before. The idea of meditating as a whole is to let go. Let go of the stress that keeps us up at night. Let go of the weight that drags our energy down throughout the day. Let go and fade into a sleep that is calm and carefree. There is no wrong way to meditate if you are achieving this weightless relaxation.

 

Step 4: Repeat daily

The results may not come immediately. Like most good things, patience is key. But! If you can keep this up and create that Relaxation Response on a daily basis, there just might be the best night’s sleep of your life waiting to be found in the focus of your meditation.

Inhale. Exhale. Just let it go.

 

References:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-helps-fight-insomnia-improves-sleep-201502187726

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5 Unique Ways To Help You Fall Asleep

We all have our own unique bedtime routines, but some are more “out-of-the-ordinary” than others. Below we will explore how these techniques might help you relax and fall into a deep sleep.

Use A Weighted Blanket

As babies, our parents swaddled us tightly in blankets. This feeling helps babies sleep because it simulates the tight space of the womb. It also prevents babies from restless movement and twitching, promoting a deeper sleep. The same concept applies for adults. Weighted blankets are filled with a variety of things from rice to poly pellets. The weight that these blankets apply to your body simulates the feeling of being swaddled. It is especially good for adults who experience continuous restless nights.

 

Text Source: Reader’s Digest (http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/sleep-tricks)

Try To Stay Awake

This may seem counterproductive, but trying to force yourself to stay awake can trick your brain into getting drowsy. Sort of a reverse psychology on yourself. Studies have shown that keeping your eyes wide open and keeping your body completely still with no electronics or lights on can actually help you fall asleep faster. I tried this method a couple of times this last week, and sure enough, the longer I tried to stay “wide-awake” the faster I fell into a deep sleep.

Text Source: Life Hacker (http://lifehacker.com/you-may-actually-fall-asleep-faster-if-you-try-to-stay-1693693901)

Watch And Listen To ASMR

This is probably one of the most interesting relaxation techniques out there, but over the past few years, it has been gaining in popularity over social media. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and is defined as, “a feeling of euphoric tingling and relaxation that can come over someone when he or she watches certain videos or hears certain sounds” (Sleep.org) These responses can be triggered by very simple sounds that we hear every day such as the tapping of rain on a tin roof or the sound of writing with a pencil on paper. These sounds start a tingle at the top of your scalp, and as it travels down your body, your mind relaxes and you can drift to sleep.  Now, this hasn’t been proven to work for everyone, but for those of us that it does, it is a great way to relax. If you are interested in listening to ASMR videos there are hundreds of them on YouTube. Below is an example of one of the popular ASMR videos by ASMR Darling.

Text Source: Sleep.org (https://sleep.org/articles/what-is-asmr/)

Video Source: YouTube (https://youtu.be/WX6SPJxurLo)

Roll Your Eyes

Research has shown that this simple trick can trigger the release of melatonin in your brain. All you need to do is close your eyes, and roll your eyes down and then back up. Do this a few times. Rolling your eyes like this mimics the beginnings of REM (Rapid Eye Movements).

Text Source: Restful Insomnia (http://www.restfulinsomnia.com/eye-roll/)
Text Source: Mirror (http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/unable-sleep-eleven-ways-you-2300449)

Make A To-Do List About Your Next Day’s Tasks

If you are like me, you worry about what needs to be done the next day. One way to ease your concerns a little is to write down your to-do list on a piece of paper.  Writing each task down makes you feel like you are more in control of your day. So, you can rest easy at night knowing that you have a plan of attack for the next day.

Text Source: Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-kushnick-psyd/5-rarely-seen-tricks-for-_b_10153342.html)